Applying Heat Treating

Processes


How is metal measured and
held?
In order to measure and work
metal satisfactorily, the stock
must be securely and properly
held.

Measuring stock
Measuring stock is very important.

In construction work it is best to
secure a plan or a blueprint, if
possible, which will indicate exact
dimensions.
Measuring stock
Measure the required length and
mark with chalk.

If the piece is to be heated, the mark
must be made with a center punch
or a file because a chalk mark will
burn off.
Measuring stock
If a bent piece of metal is to be
duplicated, take a lightweight piece
of wire and follow the bends with the
wire.
Then remove the wire, straighten it,
and measure its total length.
The wire should be placed near the
center of the piece being measured.
Measuring stock
The amount of material required for
making a ring is 3.5 times the
diameter of the ring plus the
diameter of the stock.
In measuring a piece to be welded,
add the length needed for upsetting
to the total length needed.
How is metal heated, cut,
squared, drawn out, upset,
bent, twisted, and hole
punched?
Proper procedures must be
followed to properly heat, cut,
square, draw out, upset, bend,
shape, twist, and hole punch
metal.

Heating Metal
When heating metal, heat should be
applied to all parts of the metal being
fabricated.

Heating in one spot may cause
damage to the metal due to uneven
expansion.
Heating Metal
Do not use excessive air or oxygen
in heating.
This will cause the metal to scale, and
increase the time required for heating.
Working any metal heated to less
than a cherry red may cause it to
crack.
Heating Metal
Wrought iron and low carbon steel
can be heated to a white heat for
shaping.
If the heated part sparkles, cut off
that part because its value has
been destroyed.
Heating Metal
Tool steel or high carbon steel
should be heated only to a cherry
red to prevent cracking the metal,
damaging the grain structure, and
destroying the carbon content.
Heating Metal
Malleable cast iron cannot be heated
above 1,375F, because it will revert
to some of the characteristics of
white cast iron when cooled.

Hot metal may be cut with a hot
chisel, a hardy and a cutter, an
oxyacetylene cutting torch, or an
electric arc.

Hot Metal Cutting
Hot chisels and cutters are used for
cutting generally large and heavy
metals.
Hot Metal Cutting
When cutting a light piece of
material, often it is not necessary to
use the cutter.
Merely place the stock over the hardy
and deliver hammer blows directly to
the stock.
When squaring hot metal follow
these set procedures:
1. Mark the piece to be squared with
a file, using a steel square.
2. Heat the piece to a cherry red
color.
Only a small portion should be heated;
other-wise, the piece may enlarge
when it is struck on its end.
When squaring hot metal follow
these set procedures:
3. Place the piece over an anvil, and
hammer it.
Be sure that the face of the hammer
falls parallel with the face of the anvil.

4. Continue to hammer, turning the
piece until it is square.
When squaring hot metal follow
these set procedures:
5. Reheat to a cherry red color if the
piece becomes cool before it is
squared.
Drawn Out Procedure
When a piece of iron or steel is
pounded so that it is longer and
smaller in diameter, it is said to be
drawn out.

Drawn Out Procedure
This procedure is as follows:
1. Heat the portion of the stock to be
enlarged to a white heat.
2. Place the stock on the anvil in a
perpendicular position, forming right
angles to the face of the anvil to
prevent the stock from bending.
Drawn Out Procedure
3. Strike the cold end of the stock with
hard blows.
If the stock bends, place it over the anvil
and straighten it.

When metal is upset, it is
placed on end and hammered
until it is enlarged and
shortened to the correct size.
Metal Upset Procedure
1. The metal must be heated
uniformly over the entire section to
prevent it from increasing in size at
one point.
2. Strike the metal with a sharp, well-
directed blow so the entire heated
section will be upset uniformly.
One of the important phases
of metal work is the bending of
materials.
Bending Procedures
1. Small pieces often may be bent
cold, but some pieces should be
heated before they are bent.
Bending Procedures
2. Square and angle bends can be
made by placing the heated metal
over the edge of the anvil and
hammering the end down along the
side.
Clamp one end of the metal in a heavy
vise and bend it against the jaws.
Hot metal may be twisted by
clamping one end in a vice
and turning the other end with
a wrench.
Twisting Procedure
1. To make a long twist without
bending the metal, slip a piece of
pipe over the metal between the vise
and the wrench.
Twisting Procedure
2. The length of the twist will be
determined by the distance between
the vise jaws and the wrench.

Holes are punched in hot
metal with the handled punch.
Hole Punch Procedure
1. The end of the punch must be
kept flat and the sides shaped so the
corners or edges will be sharp.
In most cases a helper is needed to
strike the punch with a larger hammer
or sledge.
Hole Punch Procedure
2. To punch a square hole lay out
and center punch the location of the
hole.
3. Heat the metal to nearly white.
4. Quickly place the metal flat on the
face of the anvil.
Center the end of the punch over the
mark.
Hole Punch Procedure
5. Strike the head of the punch with
a sledge, driving the point about two-
thirds of the way through the piece.
The punch should be cooled frequently
in water to prevent drawing its temper
and upsetting its end.
Hole Punch Procedure
6. Turn the piece over, and then set
the punch directly over the hole that
was started from the other side.
Hole Punch Procedure
7. Drive the punch in from this side
until almost through.
Then, slide the metal over the round
hole of the anvil to allow the metal to
be punched completely to the same
size from the top side.
How is metal hardened,
tempered, and annealed?

Heat treating steel includes
hardening, tempering, and
annealing.

Hardening Steel
Hardening steel is making it hard by
heating it to a light cherry red and
then cooling it quickly in warm water.
Steel Hardening
The hardness of steel is determined
by two factors: the amount and type
of carbon present in the steel and
the heat-treating process used in
hardening the steel.
Steel Hardening
The presence of carbon affects the
physical properties most; however,
carbon content and heat treatment go
together.
Carbon content will change the physical
properties only slightly without heat
treatment.
Heat treatment would have little effect if not
for the carbon content of the steel.
Steel Hardening
Carbon is important to the treating
process.
During heat treatment, carbon atoms
can bond or link up with iron atoms
to form new compounds with
different physical properties.

Basic elemental iron is called
ferrite.
When ferrite has carbon dissolved in
it, a new form, cementite or iron
carbide will form.
Cementite is usually found in a
mixture with ferrite.
The resulting mixture is called
pearlite, because it is pearly white
crystals.
Pearlite
Steel that has not been heat treated
is pearlite.
Steel can be hardened by heat
treatment because pearlite, when
heated to 1,3201340F, then
quickly cooled by warm water
becomes martensite.
Pearlite
The steel takes an intermediate
form, austenite, during heating
above 700F.
Martensite
Austenite forms martensite upon
quick cooling.
Martensite is a new substance with a
crystal structure that gives steel its
hardness.
The more martensite present, the
harder and more brittle the steel.
Tempering steel
Tempering steel is reheating
hardened steel to obtain the desired
hardness and toughness.
Tempering steel
The second heating is to a lower
temperature which must be very
carefully controlled.
This is to allow some of the hard
martensite to revert to its original
pearlite form.
Then the steel is cooled slowly or
quenched in warm water.
Tempering steel
The process of changing martensite
back to pearlite is dependent on
heat increase, usually within one of
three of the following ranges:
Tempering steel
The first range is obtained by
reheating the steel to a temperature
between 200 and 400F.
Steel that is heat treated to this
temperature retains most of its
original hardness but does gain
some strength and toughness.
Tempering steel
The second range is obtained by
reheating the steel to a temperature
between 400 and 700F.

In this range steel is moderately
hard and moderately tough.
Tempering steel
The third range is between 700 and
1,000F.
Steel reheated to this temperature
range retains only a little of its
original hardness; however, it
becomes very strong and tough.

Annealing steel
Annealing steel is softening the
metal and removing the brittleness.

The annealing process allows
hardened or tempered steel to be
made soft so it can be filed, cut, or
shaped.
Annealing steel
To anneal a piece of steel, heat it
until all the steel is in the austenite
form, light cherry red or above
1,320F, depending on the carbon
content.
Annealing steel
Then allow it to cool slowly in an
insulating material such as
vermiculite.

This allows the austenite to be-come
soft pearlite instead of martensite.
What are the safety practices
to be followed when working
with hot metal?

Observe the following general
safety practices for working
hot metal.

Safety Practices
Obtain the instructors permission
before using any tool or machine.
Safety Practices
Wear industrial quality eye
protection to protect eyes from
sparks and metal chips.
Safety Practices
To protect against burns, wear
clothing such as coveralls, high-top
shoes, leather aprons, and leather
gloves.
Remove all paper from pockets, and
wear cuff-less pants.
Safety Practices
Protect hair and scalp by restraining
long hair and wearing a cap.
Safety Practices
In the event of an emergency, all
students involved in or observing the
emergency should call for help
immediately.
You should know the location of fire
extinguishers and fire blankets and how
to use them.
You should also know the approved
procedure for exiting the laboratory.
Safety Practices
Report all injuries or accidents to the
instructor immediately, no matter
how slight.
Safety Practices
Keep the work area and tools clean.
Dirty, greasy, and oily tools and
floors can cause accidents.
Clean and put away all unneeded
tools and materials.
Clean up oil spills and scrap metal
from the floor and equipment.
Safety Practices
Always use the right size tool and
only for its intended purpose.

Use tongs or pliers for carrying hot
metal.
Safety Practices
Loud talking, as well as, pushing,
running, and scuffling while working
with hot metal can cause serious
accidents.

Keep your mind on your work.
Safety Practices
Work in a well-ventilated area.

Fumes and intense heat are a part
of hot metalwork and require that
work be done outdoors or in a
forced-ventilated area.
Safety Practices
When lifting heavy objects, obtain
help.

Lift with the legs and not the back.

Straining to lift heavy objects can
cause serious injury.
Safety Practices
To avoid the possibility of accidental
burns, keep hot metal in a safe place
until it cools.

Use tongs or pliers for handling hot
metal.
Safety Practices
Before leaving the laboratory or work
station, make certain the heat
source is shut off and cool.
Safety Practices
Do not perform hot metalwork on
wood floors or near flammable
materials.

Never work on containers that have
been used for storage of
combustible material.
Safety Practices
Keep cables and hoses from
coming in contact with hot metal and
sharp objects.

Never point a flame at cables or
hoses.
Safety Practices
Use warm water instead of
quenching oil for quenching.

Quenching oil is easily confused with
other oils.

Review
Identify the tools and equipment used for
hot metal work.
Explain the processes of measuring and
holding metal.
Describe the methods of heating, cutting,
squaring, drawing out, upsetting,
bending, twisting, and punching holes in
hot metal.
Review
Describe the heat treating
processes: hardening, tempering,
and annealing.

Identify the safety practices to follow
when working with hot metal.